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If you want to take Android customization to the next level, there’s an app that’s just for you. Dubbed ExTweaks, this app is for adjusting really advanced features in kernels for the Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100. Of course, it’s not for the faint of heart or, in this case, the unfamiliar with modifying their phones. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you may be doing more damage to your device than improving it. Read on to learn more about ExTweaks.

Overview

If you’ve dug around the Android community long enough, you’ve no doubt come across the term kernel. A kernel is a layer of code that allows your Android OS and its apps to interact with your phone’s hardware. We’ve seen threads for improving your device’s performance through flashing a kernel, such as overclocking your device’s CPU. Normally, we’d have to wait for developers to make kernels aimed to improve our device’s performance, but thanks to a certain app, we may be able to do some tweaking of our own.

XDA Developer member gokhanmoral has created an app that allows users of the Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100 to change some of the kernel functions of their phone according to their preference. Even in the beta stage of its development, ExTweaks already allows users to make several modifications.

ExTweaks is currently in its public beta testing stage and it’s still got some bugs needing a good squashing and issues in need of resolving. If you’re excited to try it out and provide feedback though, it’s already available on the Google Play Store.

When we talk about custom ROMs or kernels, we usually associate them with developers. After all, the developers are the ones who have got the privilege and the know-how to tweak Android devices. We’re so used to letting developers do their thing and to give them feedback when they’ve got interesting discoveries.

Now, you don’t have to wait around for developers to tweak kernels the way you’d like them, to thanks to ExTweaks. Of course, it doesn’t really mean that a normal user can now create a custom ROM on his/her own, but if you’re thinking of making little changes, ExTweaks should do the trick. So, if you are a developer-wannabe, this app might be the thing you need to get started.

ExTweaks’s UI isn’t very complicated but you have to know what you are doing. Things that you can modify are presented at the top of the screen for easy access. There are tabs for the various settings. You can change settings for the CPU, GPU, screen, and others. You can also view system-related info from the Info tab.

Compatibility

The ExTweaks app currently supports the Galaxy S2 GT-I9100 running on SiyahKernel, a custom kernel especially modded and tweaked for the Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100. SiyahKernel is also aimed at those who want to speed up or slow down their phone’s CPU and/or GPU. ExTweaks was created as a perfect complement to SiyahKernel.

Issues

Be reminded that you should not use this app if you aren’t familiar with the dos and don’ts of modifying a phone. It’s highly discouraged that newbies experiment with their phones as it may cause more harm than good. Developers who’d like to improve their phone’s performance for an extremely unique Android experience may benefit the most from ExTweaks. At the moment, only the latest Siyah kernel supports the ExTweaks by its UCI interface.

So if you want to modify your Galaxy S II kernel, give ExTweak a try and tweak your OS to maximize the potential of your phone’s hardware. ExTweak is free to download from the Google Play Store.

Ken is an expert on management and is currently engrossed with his newly started adventure in logistics management. But, that's only his second love. His first love, of course, and without being mushy when this is said, is Android.